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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · race · spring · arm · pass · mark · mate · saw

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. race — a contest
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. race — humankind
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a trace
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com